Energy Catalyst

Energy Catalyst is an Innovate UK programme funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) under the Ayrton Fund. Through financial and advisory support, and by building strategic partnerships and uncovering new insights, Energy Catalyst supports the development of technologies and business models that can improve lives in Africa, Asia, and Indo-Pacific regions.

The Powering Renewable Energy Opportunities (PREO) programme is a demand-led, productive-use-of-renewable-energy (PURE) initiative that stimulates partnerships, innovation and learning to address the needs and improve the livelihoods of communities in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, and the Pacific Island Countries. Since its formation in 2019, PREO has been supported by the IKEA Foundation and UK aid via the Transforming Energy Access platform, delivered by the Carbon Trust and Energy 4 Impact.

Transforming Energy Access (TEA) is a research and innovation platform supporting the technologies, business models and skills needed to enable an inclusive clean energy transition. TEA works via partnerships to support emerging clean energy generation technologies, productive appliances, smart networks, energy storage and more. It increases access to clean, modern energy services for people and enterprises in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, improving their lives, creating jobs and boosting green economic opportunities.

Zero Emission Generators (ZE-Gen) aims to advance renewable energy-based alternatives in countries that currently depend on fossil-fuelled generators. ZE-Gen is a collaborative initiative led by the Carbon Trust and Innovate UK, with support from the IKEA Foundation and UK aid through the UK Government’s Ayrton Fund. ZE-Gen is designed to tackle barriers, accelerate innovation and fund activities to build a thriving, competitive market for renewable alternatives to fossil-fuelled generators.